DIG Paraskar grilled for 4 hours over rape accusations

Sunil Paraskar, accused of raping and molesting a model, appeared before investigating officers at the commissioner’s office yesterday and denied all the allegations levelled against him

Fifty-seven-year-old Deputy Inspector General of Police Sunil Paraskar, who was accused of rape by a 27-year-old model, recorded his statement in front of investigating officers yesterday. Paraskar denied all the charges levelled against him by the budding model, said police officers familiar with the case. However, Paraskar accepted that he knew the model and had been with her to various places.

DIG Sunil Paraskar was grilled for four hours by DCP (Crime) Sharda Raut and ACP Kala Gavit, during which he denied all the charges levelled against him by the model. Pic/Shadab Khan

The woman had accused Paraskar of raping her in Madh Island, Malad, and molesting her in Navi Mumbai. He appeared before investigating officers at the Commissioner’s office in CST, and was grilled for four hours by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharda Raut and Assistant Commissioner of Police Kala Gavit. He arrived at 12 pm and left around 4 pm yesterday, said sources.

Refuted chargesSources told mid-day that Paraskar denied all allegations and told the police he only knew the model. He also told reporters that all the charges levelled against him were baseless and that he would come out clean in the case. “We have recorded his statement and already registered the model’s statement. We will compare the two and if there are any discrepancies, we will call him again,” said Sadanand Date, joint commissioner of police (crime).

The IPS officer’s anticipatory bail application, which the Crime Branch is likely to oppose, will be in court on July 31, . Paraskar has been provided interim protection till then. Officials are busy gathering evidence to strengthen their case. “We will record the statement of the victim under Section 164 of CrPc in front of a magistrate in the first week of August,” said Date.

This would make the case strong for the Crime Branch and would help them prosecute Paraskar even if the victim changes her statement later. Statements recorded under this Section, in the presence of a magistrate, are treated as the witness' deposition in court and are admissible in trial.

The Crime Branch is already in possession of emails and messages exchanged between the woman and Paraskar, in which the latter apologised for alleged misbehaviour. Police also have statements of security guards of the Madh Island bungalow and Navi Mumbai flat, from where they saw the duo walk out.

According to the woman’s statement, she also accidentally rammed into the DIG’s official vehicle when the duo who were in the woman’s vehicle were en route to Navi Mumbai. “We will also take the statement of Paraskar’s driver, who was driving his vehicle,” Date said.

The Crime Branch has also written to the Director General of Police and state home ministry about the case, saying they are likely to act against Paraskar in the next few days. As the model had already sent a legal notice to the DIG, the police have also recorded the statement of the lawyer.